MBA program among top schools for teaching on social, environmental issues

The School of Business has been ranked among the world’s top schools for its MBA offerings in social and environmental issues.

The “Beyond Grey Pinstripes” ranking, released Oct. 19 by World Resources Institute and the Aspen Institute, measures how well MBA programs equip students with an understanding of the social, environmental and economic perspectives required for business success in a competitive global economy.

Wisconsin was 16th among U.S. business schools and 28th in the overall ranking. Stanford University ranked first, followed by ESADE in Spain and York University in Canada. Only 18 U.S. schools made the top 30 list.

It is the only global ranking that evaluates MBA programs for their efforts to prepare students for the new business realities demanding social and environmental stewardship.

The UW–Madison School of Business offers four courses covering different aspects of social and environmental stewardship. Two student organizations in the school, Net Impact and BASE (Business Action for Sustainable Enterprise), focus on environmental and social issues. Professor Dan Anderson and Senior Lecturer Tom Eggert teach these courses and advise the student organizations. Both have published articles in this area. Business executives often serve as guest speakers in the courses.

According to “Beyond Grey Pinstripes,” the UW–Madison School of Business distinguished itself “not only by offering a large number of courses that addressed social and environmental issues in business, but also by the relatively large proportion of students who actually took those classes.”

“We have made a commitment to preparing students for the future by offering classes in environmental strategy and sustainability, systems thinking and sustainable businesses,” says business Dean Michael Knetter. “This recognition helps us attract students that are interested not only in business, but in the role that business can play in shaping our future.”

Ed Wiegner, a business school alumnus, has provided seed money to support the teaching of courses and the activities of the student organizations. Eggert and Anderson and other business school faculty are working with the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies to explore the development of future joint ventures.

“Corporations are increasingly dependent on executives who are able to help them negotiate the new realities of the changing business environment, particularly policies and practices that address issues of social and environmental responsibility,” says Judith Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program.

To create the ranking, “Beyond Grey Pinstripes” invited nearly 600 MBA programs to report on their coursework and research. To evaluate the programs, they analyzed 1,842 courses, 1,713 extracurricular activities and programs, and 828 journal articles from leading peer-reviewed business publications. A full description of the report, its methodology and individual MBA program ratings is available online at http://www.beyondgreypinstripes.org.